Sides

An easy vegetable side dish that’s surprisingly protein-rich and also darn tasty?! Sounds like a planet-friendly winner to me!

Broccoli is always a fun vegetable to play around with, and the fact that it’s nutritional punch is so darn amazing makes it even more fabulous. Scott Stoll (MD) says that (per calorie), broccoli even has more protein than steak! This claim has been questioned, but the fact that it’s been made clearly proves that broccoli’s protein and nutrient-density are nothing to be messed with.

I know friends, I KNOW… vegan and barbecue don’t usually seem to go together too well. But I promise, veggies can (and will) give you ample motivation to fire up the grill (especially in the Summertime)!…

Hummus is one of those things that I’ve been consciously trying to make an effort to make more of at home. Sadly, it so often gets pushed out of my mind (probably because I decide to bake these Classic Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies instead).

Ahhh RANCH dressing… the most classic of the dressings. I remember my “salads” when I was little consisted of plain raw spinach topped with heaps of icky bottled ranch stuff. That was BEFORE I came to love vegetables. Wow, how things have changed!

High protein and potato salad aren’t two things you probably hear together too often… are they? I think of potato salad as being something you bring to a friendly neighborhood potluck on a warm midsummer day… not necessarily a post-gym snack. But HEY, this potato salad can fill BOTH roles!

Since turning to a plant-based diet, I haven’t sampled any mock-potato salads, nor have I tried to recreate my own version… until now! It was so much fun getting to experiment with such classic flavors in this all-American dish.

Brussels Sprouts… some of us love them and some of us hate them. I used to HATE the little mini-cabbages with a passion (probably because my dad used to punish my brother and I with microwaved Brussels Sprouts dipped in white vinegar when we misbehaved).

Since my earlier days of horrible sprout-consumption, I’ve learned how to properly make Brussels Sprouts. Thank goodness those days of gross sprouts are behind me, because I love living in a world filled with grown-up style sprouts (Like this recipe that I’ve posted here 😉 )

These No BS Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts are called “No BS” because they are the REAL DEAL.

Ahhh kale… I feel like society as a whole has a love/hate relationship with the superfood, but the reality is that it takes a little more effort than most greens to prepare in a way that makes eating it an enjoyable experience.

Here, I’ve laid how I personally go about making yummy dishes with this specific green. I’ve also included a combo I use regularly for people trying it out for the veggie for the first time 🙂

When you see kale at your local grocery store, it can seem overwhelming. Often times there’s more than three varieties that all have different colors and textures. What I’ve found is that the more red the leaf, the more bitter it is. If this is you’re fist time trying out making anything with kale, I’d stick to the green variety.

Once you have the kale in your possession, the first step to turning it into a yummy dish is de-stemming it. There are multiple methods that different people swear by, but it really depends on the kind of leaf you’re dealing with. Basically, as long as you get the thick, middle stem in each leaf separated from the “meat” of the leaf, you’re good to go.

The next fact to recognize is that (unless you’re buying baby kale) it’s going to be TOUGH. Basically, if you try to eat it raw, without doing anything to it, you’re going to be doing a LOT of chewing. It’ll also taste suuuuper bitter. Kale is so tough because of it’s extremely high fiber density… while this may be good for your intestines, it might not feel so great to your mouth.

To combat this little issue, it helps to massage your kale. Yes, I know, the idea of giving your future salad a rub down sounds slightly insane… but it’s SO WORTH IT!

Start by breaking up the larger kale leaves into smaller pieces and throwing them in a large bowl (You can do this by tearing with your fingers or cutting with a knife). Use whatever dressing that’s going onto the salad/dish, lemon juice, avocado, or tahini and pour it over top of the leaves. Using your fingers (yes, you read that right) rub down the leaves with whatever you put on them till they break down and become tenderized.

After you rub them down, they’ll take on a darker hue, be less rigid, less bitter, and will take on the flavor of whatever you dressed them with. All that’s left to now is adding additional veggies/fruits/nuts to the bowl, giving it a quick toss, and calling it a meal!

Sustainability!

Connect with me:

All the VEGAN Food On-Campus at SDSU

If you read my post about the Basics of Surviving in College as a Vegan, you know that eating on campus is both inevitable and probably in your best interest sometimes. Here I’ve laid out a San Diego State University specific guide for myself and all my fellow Aztecs, so we can eat ~freely~ and…